Chair-adjusting means



Oct. 22, 1968 Filed Jan. 25, 1967 R- H. DE GASTON CHAIR-ADJUSTING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet l l I .29 INVENTOR.

xenouz. H. de 6A57'0/v ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,406,517 CHAIR-ADJUSTING MEANS Raoul H. de Gaston, Lynwood, Califl, assignor to Henri L. Valette, Inglewood, Calif. Filed Jan. 25, 1967, Ser. No. 611,646 6 Claims. (Cl. 60-52) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Chair-adjusting means having an hydraulic pump that is foot-operable, the fluid reservoir thereof being sealed ed at all times, even during shipment of the chair, except at the bottom of the pump stroke when said reservoir is vented, the chair being provided with a position-retaining brake that is settable by foot operation when the pump is at the top of its stroke and is released on the down or power stroke of the pump plunger so that hydraulic fluid will be eliective to "raise the chair during said power stroke. A single foot-engageable pedal means, when depressed, causes simultaneous release of the brake and hydraulically raising the chair, and pedal means, when raised by the foot, effecting setting of the brake.

Background of the invention Chairs which are pedestal-mounted and are heightadjustable, i.e., of the type used in barber shops, beauty salons, and like establishments, are generally hydraulically raised and allowed to lower by gravity. During shipment, the fluid reservoirs of such chairs require to be sealed off to prevent loss of the hydraulic fluid. It is frequently the case that such a seal fails of its purpose and the chair is delivered in non-operable condition. Also, the lost fluid may cause damage to other items of the same shipment. Further, prior chairs of the hydraulic type above characterized are ordinarily provided with a fluid intake valve of substantial cost, the present means obviating the need therefor.

An object of this invention is to provide simplified means of the character above referred to that eliminates port-sealing means used during shipment on the usual intake valves used on the stems or pl-ungers of single-acting force pumps, thereby providing such pumps with improved wear properties.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a pump with self-venting means at the bottom of the stroke which, thereby, allows for automatic gravitational lowering of a chair seat carried by such a stem, a single actuator pedal, when depressed, simultaneously moving the pump in its power stroke and operating brake means to release said stem, a spring bias for returning the pump plunger to its top or recovery position, upon release of the actuator pedal, and said pedal, when raised by the foot, setting the brake means.

This invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture. relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description, which is based on the accompanying drawings. However, said drawings merely show, and the fol- 3,406,517 Patented Oct. 22, 1968 ice lowing description merely describes, one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

Summary of the invention The chair that is provided with the present improvements comprises, conventionally, a pedestal housing a reservoir for hydraulic fluid, a force pump located within the reservoir and provided with a foot valve, a cylinder extending upwardly in said reservoir and connected at its bottom to the outlet of the force pump, and a stem operably movable in said cylinder and mounting a seat. Also conventionally, the force pump comprises a cylinder at the bottom of which the foot valve is located, a plunger in the latter cylinder, and a spring to bias the plunger to extended recovery position after the latter has been moved downward in its power or fluid-pumping stroke, and the stem is provided with a lower end that has self-sealing contact with the stem cylinder when subjected to fluid pressure from beneath. The present improvements, in this chair structure, comprise: a loosely carried but self-closing piston on the lower end of the pump plunger to thereby obviate the need for an intake valve in said pump, means to automatically vent the reservoir at the bottom of the power stroke of the pump plunger, novel brake means provided on the upper end of the pedestal and operatively associated with the mentioned stern, a pedal-type actuator, when alternately depressed and released by the foot of an operator, operating the pump for raising the chair seat and simultaneously releasing said brake to free the stem for such raising of the seat, and means connected to and controlled by said pedal actuator, when raised by the toe of the foot of the operator, to set said brake for holding the chair fixed in the adjusted position thereof.

In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a chair provided with adjusting means according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view as taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the pedestal-mounted means of the present construction, the pedestal being shown in vertical section and partly broken away.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the means shown in FIG. 3 taken on the vertical axis thereof.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the means shown in FIG. 3, a portion thereof being shown in section.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are further enlarged and fragmentary sectional view of structural details.

Description of the preferred embodiment The chair that is illustrated comprises a pedestal 10, a reservoir 11 mounted by a bracket 12 on said pedestal and disposed therewithin, a guide cylinder 13 extending axially from the bottom 14 of the reservoir through said bracket 12, an hydraulic force pump 15 within the reservoir 11 alongside the cylinder 13 and comprising a cylinder 16 extending upwardly from the reservoir bottom 14, a plunger 17 operative in the latter cylinder, and a spring 18 to bias the plunger to extended position, as shown, a passage 19 connecting the cylinders 13 and 16, a foot valve 20 at the bottom of the latter cylinder, a stem 21 3 vertically and rotationally engaged in the cylinder 13, and a chair seat 21a affixed to said stem.

The above conventional chair construction, upon depression of the pump plunger 17, produces hydraulic pressure on the bottom of the stem 21 to raise the same and the seat 21a on the upper end thereof. Release of said plunger allows the spring 18 to re-project the plunger 17, whereupon automatic closing of the foot valve 20 traps the fluid pump into the cylinder 13 and holds the stem and the seat thereon elevated.

The top of the reservoir 11 and the upper end of the cylinder 13 are in communication through a hole 22 in the wall of said cylinder. One feature of the present invention is the provision of a self-sealing gasket cup 23 on a lower enlargement 24 of the stem 21, said gasket under pressure by fluid from below, effecting sealing engagement with the cylinder 13, thereby retaining the elevated position of the stem and seat, as described, the stem, nevertheless, being movable in an upward direction under force of the pump 15, since the form of the gasket cup enables accommodating sliding engagement with the cylinder wall.

Since the reservoir 11 requires to be vented after each power stroke of the pump, an important improved venting means is provided. The same is here shown as a plunger-depressing rod 25 that has a sealed sliding fit in a bearing 26 but otherwise extends through a clearance hole 27 in the bracket 12. An air-venting bleed hole 28 opens on .a bore 29 that extends upwardly through the top of said rod 25. As can be seen in FIG. 4, when the rod 25, which is engaged with the top of the plunger 17, is extended by the spring 18, the vent hole 28 is beyond the bearing 26. The reservoir is unvented, therefore. When, as shown in FIG. 7, the rod 25 is depressed to cause the plunger to be moved in its power stroke, the vent hole 28 is below the seal bearing 26, thereby opening the reservoir 11 to atmosphere through hole 27 and bore 29.

Another feature of the invention is to provide the lower end of the plunger 17 with a reduced end 30 that extends from a shoulder 31 on said plunger, and with a loosely fitted piston ring 32 on said end 30'. On the power stroke of the plunger, said ring 32, being pressed by the fluid in cylinder 16 against the shoulder 31, effects a seal with said shoulder that obviates fluid leakage past the ring 32. In the up or recovery stroke, the said ring moves away from said shoulder but is retained in assembly by the pin 33. Thus, the plunger can move upwardly through the fluid due to passage thereof through the space between said ring and the plunger end 30. In practice, the end 30 may be cylindrical and the hole in the ring 32 square, thereby providing a centering fit therebetween and yet providing for fluid passage, as above mentioned.

The rod 25 is engaged by a bail-like arm 34 that extends irom a pivot rod 35 journalled in the mentioned bracket 12. A larger and similarly shaped foot pedal 36 also extends from said rod and, when depressed by the foot, moves the arm 34 in a direction to depress the rod 25 from the position of FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 to that of FIG. 7.

A brake 37 is mounted on the bracket 12, the same being of novel construction, comprising a box-like housing 38 through which the stem 21 extends, a brake shoe 39 aflixed to said housing and disposed on one side of said stem, a movable brake shoe 40 on the opposite side of said stem and movable transversely to the axis of said stern, and a threaded bushing 41 mounting the latter shoe and in threaded engagement with a wall of said housing 38. The bushing 41 has a righthand thread. Thus, when the same is turned clockwise, it will move axially in a direction toward the stem 21, thereby moving the shoe 40 to cooperate with the fixed shoe 39 to grip said stern. Reverse rotation of said bushing results in release of the stern by the two brake shoes. A stem 42 on the shoe 40 is provided with a nut that,

after adjustment of the shoe 40 and the bushing 41, relatively, may be locked to retain the adjustment and, thereby, the braking pressure on the stem 21.

Means 43, interconnecting the bushing 41 and the arm 34 and, therefore, the pedal 36, is provided to cause release of the brake upon depression of the pedal, and setting of the brake upon lifting of the pedal as by the toe of the operators foot. Said means 43 is shown as a lug 44 on the arm 34, a lever arm 45 adjusta'bly affixed to the bushing, and a link 46 connecting said dog and lever arm.

It will be clear from the above that, simultaneously With the power stroke of the pump 15 and the venting of the reservoir at the end of said stroke by depression of the pedal 34, the brake is released, enabling the hydraulic pressure on the stem end 24 and its gasket 23 to be efiective to raise the stem 21 and the seat 21a thereon; that, upon release of the pedal, the pump will move to recovery position under bias of spring 18, resulting in simultaneous closing of the vented reservoir to atmosphere; and that, upon lifting of the pedal the brake is set to hold the height-adjusted position of the seat. Between release of the pedal and lifting thereof by the toe, the seat may be turned freely to adjust its position angularly, as desired.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described what is now contemplated to be the best mode of carrying out the invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is not desired to restrict the invention to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifica tions that may tall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Means to adjust the seat of a pedestal-mounted chair having an hydraulic pump with a spring-biased plunger located in a reservoir for hydraulic fluid, there being a vertical cylinder in said reservoir and a stem in said cylinder and to the upper end of which said seat is secured, said means comprising:

(a) a foot pedal provided with a lever arm,

(b) a rod extending betwen said arm and the upper end of the plunger to depress the latter upon depression of the pedal by the foot of an operator, and

(c) a bracket covering the reservoir and having a clearance hole through which the mentioned rod passes, a bearing in said bracket sealing around the rod,

(d) said rod having a vent hole that is located above the sealing bearing when the bias on the pump plunger maintains the rod extended, said Vent hole being open to said clearance hole and in venting communication with the reservoir when the rod is depressed by the lever arm of the foot pedal.

2. Seat-adjusting means according to claim 1 in which a brake with one fixed shoe and one movable shoe is mounted on the upper end of said bracket with said shoes on opposite sides of the stem that mounts the seat,

(a) means to mount the movable shoe to move transversely of the axis of said stem, and

(b) means connected to the lever arm of said pedal to move the latter brake shoe in a release direction simultaneously with depression movement of the pump plunger.

3. Seat-adjusting means according to claim 2 in which the last-mentioned means comprises a rotational member having screw threads, and a housing around said brake shoes provided with a threaded seat in which the rotation member moves transversely of the stern when turned.

4. Seat-adjusting means according to claim 3 in which said means includes an arm adjustably fixed to the rotational member, and a link connecting the lever arm to said adjustable arm.

5. Seat-adjusting means according to claim 1 in which 5 6 the pump has a cylinder in side-by-side relation to the stem (b) a rod in the form of a loop with its ends connected cylinder, and further comprising: to said rod on opposite sides of the bracket,

(:1) a shoulder on the lower end of th plunger ith a (c) the bail-like lever arm being disposed within the reduced extension below said shoulder, and confines of the mentioned 1 (b) a ring slidingly fitted in said latter cylinder and 5 having a fluid-passing fit with said reduced extension, References C'ted the ring having fluid-sealing contact With said shoul- UNITED STATES PATENTS der during the pumping stroke of the plunger. 1 999,848 4/1935 Ri 6. Seat-adjusting means according to claim 2 in which 2,969,645 1/1961 Ki f the foot pedal comprises: 10 3,159,972 12/1964 Newman et al.

(a) a rod having rotational bearing in the mentioned br k t, d EDGAR W. GEOGHEGAN, Primary Examiner. 

